Index



' 2 SheetseSheet 1.

(No Model.)

W. B. COONS.-

i INDEX. No. 603,892.

m imm? CFUTEZH (No Mqtel.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. E. GooNs. INDEX.

N0. 603,892. Patented Maf 10,1898.

L INDEX A n nss I ERANTR f; l Ayyerson 29 x Armstcad 32 l TH EABDVE TABLE l /M GRANTUR ma nonms mans no.. vuomumo., wnsulnawufv. c,

WARREN E. COONS, OF CULPEPER, VIRGINIA.

INDEX.

SPECIFICATION forming part` of Letters Patent No. 603,892, dated May 10, 1898. Application filed July 7, 1897. Serial No. 643,726. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WARREN E. CooNs, of Culpeper, in the county of Culpeper, and in the State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Indexes; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l shows the upper portion of a page of an index-book embodying my invention, and Fig. 2 the side portion of a page of said book with different subject-matter recorded thereon. I

The object of my invention is to provide an index-book for :records of various kinds so simple that it may be quickly and easily un derstood and so convenient that reference thereto to find particular data will involve the expenditure of but little work and time; and to these ends said invention consists in the index-book having the features of arrangement substantially as hereinafter specified.

My invention is applicable to indexes of the records of transfer of titles to lands or other property-as by deeds or wills, of j udgment-lien dockets, fiduciary accounts, dac.; but for illustration and with no intention of being limited to such application of it I show and will describe it as applied to the indexing of the record of deeds.

In arranging my index-book for the purpose just stated I classify the surnames of parties to the deeds having the same initial letter according to the frequency of the occurrence of the name and the amount of space required for it in the index. Thus unless a surname occurs so many times that it requires at least one page of the index-book I place it,accord ing to a system to appear, with other infrequently-occurrin g surnames, but limiting the names so disposed of to those that would occupy but a few pages, while all like surnames sufficient in number to iill a page or more I place together. In the practical carrying out of this mode of classification I print a table in the form of short columns across the top of each page A, in which are given the iirst two or three letters of the names of a group of surnames not sufficient in number to require a page to themselves, placing opposite the same the number of the page of the index-book where they are to be found or their entry begins and also the complete or full names of those surnames that are sufficient in number to require a page or more, with the number of the page opposite each name to denote where they are to be found or where their entry begins. Thus, for example, surnames of infrequent occurrence whose initial letter is A7 and Whose second lettermay be any letter from a to l are written on the same or successive pages and their location in the book denoted thus: Aa to Al-1, and the same surnames that are sufficiently numerous to be put upon one or more pages to themselves and be indexed by the entire name are indexed thus: Abbott-4.

If the group of surnames designated by the first few letters includes names Whose second or whose third letters are unlike, then such letters of the first and last words of the group are given; but if all Words of the group have the same second or the same third letter then only one set of letters is given. Where the former arrangement is necessary, the last name of the list ofV complete or full names following the abbreviations is a name Whose first two or three letters are the same as the corresponding letters of the last name of the group denoted by the abbreviations or some name whose second or third letters are em braced Within the letters of the alphabet ncluded between the abbreviation of the rst and last names of the group. l/Vhere the other described arrangement is necessary, the second or the second and third letters of the full name or names following the abbreviation agree with those of the latter.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the index referring to the groups of names by only the iirst few letters of the group included serves also to denote the extent of the list of complete names between two consecutive groups of names indexed by only the first few letters thereof. Thus no full name will be found in the list following the index Aa to Al whose second letter is not between the letters a and 1. It is therefore not necessary to run over each name of the same initial in the index, as the particular section of the index containing `it can be IOO promptly yand easily xed by referring to the index made up of the parts of names.

Preferably at the top of each of the short index-columns the initial letter of the names given in such column is conspicuously printed to facilitate reference thereto. y

Below the table of names, classified as above described, the page is ruled horizontally by a number of parallel lines and divided by vertical lines into columns headed or titled in succession as follows: Grantor, Grantee, Where recorded, Book, Page, Kind, Date of deed, Mo., Day, Year, Date of record, Mo., Day, Yearf Preferably the columns headed Grantor and Grantee are ruled down the middle for the convenient separation of the surnames and given names of individuals.

If the number of names indexed is so great that one volume for them would be too bulky, they may be placed in several volumes, in which event, at the side of the index-table, the initials of the names included in the volume will be indicated-as, for example, A to D -and the party to the deed by which the indexing is done is also noted at the same place-as, for example, where the grantor is used, by printing the Word Grantor.

Immediately below the table a brief explanation of the system on which the index is arranged is printed.

It is to be understood that the index-table is printed at the top of every record-receiving page of the book, so that at Whatever page the book may be opened an index-table will be found. As my table is very compact, it is admirably suited for this arrangement.

The manner of using my index is, briefly, as follows: Having found the proper place in the index by means of the initial letter and bearing in mind the second and, Where necessary, the third letters of the surname desired and finding the proper section of the index in which to look by referring to the index composed of parts of names, the searcher will look through the full names in such section. If he finds the surname there, he notes the number of the page given opposite the name and then refers to the page of the book so ascertained. He thenV runs over the names entered in the column headed Grantor and by means of the given name iixes upon or identifies the surname sought for and refers to the other columns on the same horizontal line for the further data as to grantee, place of record, dac. lf the surname is not found in the list of-full names given, it will be found in the names indexed by only part of the letters thereof, and the number of the page being obtained by reference to such index the searcher proceeds, as in the other case just described, to get the desired data.

It is obvious that the indexing can be done by the name of the grantee instead of the grantor, and it is also apparent that the scope of the invention extends to the indexing of the names of other things or objects besides persons, and hence l do not limit myself only to the use of my index as applied to the names of persons.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. An index for names that consists of parts of names With means to indicate where the names are to be found, and full names, with means to indicate where such are to be found, full names of the same initial being in groups and parts of names being placed contiguous to a group of full names of the same initial letters, said parts being those of the first and last names of a group of names and having letters, after the initial letter, which, in alphabetical order, include the letters of like position in said group of full names, the said group of full names and parts of names being on the same page substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. Anindex-book having on each record-receiving page, a table formed of parts of names, with means to indicate where the names are to be found, and full names, With means to indicate where such are to be found, the parts of naines and full names being grouped together according to their initialletters, said parts of names of such group being those of the first and last of a group of names, and having letters after the initial letter, which, in alphabetical order, include the letters of like position in the full n ames of a group, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. An index-book having at the top of each record-recei ving page, a table formed by parts of names, with means to indicate where the naines are to be found, and full names, with means to indicate Where such are to be found, the parts of names and full names being ar ranged in columns and grouped according to their initial letters, said parts of names of a group being those of the first and last of a group of names, and having letters after the initial letter, which in alphabetical order, include the letters of like position in the full names of a group, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing l have hereunto set my hand this 6th day of July, A. D. 1897.

WARREN E. COONS.

Witnesses:

HENRY C. HAZARD, C. J. WILLIAMSON.

IOO

IIO 

